Donor Spotlight: Don and Grace Grau
“The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was instrumental in helping my family survive,” says Grace Grau.
Growing up, Grace’s family received help with food and clothing through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Her mother raised four kids on
her own, and though she held down a number of jobs, the family didn’t always have enough money for basic needs.
Later in life, when she told her husband Don about their help, he was touched. A generous soul, Don owned a small business for more than 30 years and took care of his employees whenever he could.
One employee, Angie, was in a bad financial situation. But when her car needed repairs, they were done quickly — even though Don knew she
couldn’t afford it. When Don asked, Angie told him the garage hadn’t charged her anything. Don was curious, so he visited the garage, where he was told “St. Vincent de Paul took care of it.”
Remembering his wife’s story, Don thought of his father’s lesson: “You give back when you can.”
He visited the local SVdP Conference to write them a check for the cost of Angie’s car repairs. As Don and Grace learned more about the various ways St. Vincent de Paul helps neighbors in need, their gifts grew as well. They love supporting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and encourage others to join them.
You join hands with Don and Grace to support people like Angie every time you donate. Says Don, “This is a great organization — St.
Vincent de Paul helps people who really need help and might not find it otherwise.” Grace adds, “I know firsthand that donations are really helping families who need help. I’ll always be grateful.”
